Rough Sundays

ROUGH SUNDAYS—VOL. LXXXIX

Last show before The Big Trip and boy-oh-boy, did we break out the big guns for this one. Kicking it off with the Choir of Fire—with a subsequent story of a dear friend meeting the bandleader last weekend—to the great (or, should be) Dorthy Love Coates, some flugelhorn funk, reggae from the most-improbable place and much, much more. So you know the drill: Coffee. Sit. Listen. Happiness. It's Rough Sundays!

ROUGH SUNDAYS—VOL. LXXXVIII

Recorded from the Grand Ole Opry House (okay, okay, a hotel room overlooking it), the second of our two-part series dedicated to the goodness coming out of Tennessee, with a capella mountain gospel, the Empress of Blues, songs from prison, Satan-fearing brothers and, of course, some Big Maybelle. It's exactly 30 minutes of Sunday Morning Smokey Mountain scrumptious medley and it's all just waiting to be enjoyed SO DO THAT. 

ROUGH SUNDAYS—VOL. LXXXVII

From high atop the Smokey Mountains, it's the first of two Tennessee Specials! Kicking it off with a Negro Spiritual more than 100 years old, then moving through the gospel, bluegrass, country, fiddle and ending with the Queen of Soul... plus lots more. It's less than 30 minutes long—which is saying something as slow as things move around here—and it's probably the only podcast you'll ever hear recorded next to Dollywood while playing Dolly Parton THAT'S THE LEVEL WE PRODUCE enjoy, now, y'hear? 

ROUGH SUNDAYS — VOL. LXXXVI

Back to the roots—both of music and childhood—as we check in from Middle America, aka Tulsa, where fire and brimstone wouldn't be to far off the already scorching forecast. From old time gospel from the 1940s courtesy of "The Thunderbolt of the Middle West", to the lady who turned Bob Dylan onto folk singing, a founding group of Ethiopia's Golden Age of Jazz, one of reggae's most under appreciated + overlooked voices and a Miles Davis number you might not know, plus a hilarious story involving said Prince of Darkness and Oklahoma's infamous red dirt. It's 35 minutes of goodness, just perfect for making, waiting, pouring, waiting, sipping and finishing a coffee. Press play! 

ROUGH SUNDAYS — VOL. LXXXVV

Our final show from Japan and the second of two episodes making our way through the different decades—and the happenings and sounds therein—of this fascinating country. From shoegaze crooners to the ladies who launched City Pop, ska-loving boy bands and what can only be described as "Japan's Engelbert Humperdinck". So sit back, make a big cup of coffee (or sake; we don't judge) and let's travel both back in time, and to Tokyo...

ROUGH SUNDAYS — VOL. LXXXVIV

In the first of our two final (sniff) shows from Japan, we go back in time—tracing the sounds and historical happenings of Edo—dedicating one track per decade, starting from the smokey twenties and all the way up to the nineties. In this episode, we cover 1920-1950, from the dark corners of Tokyo kissaten cafes, to the jus post bellum tracks of the late 1940s, plus much more. It's 30 minutes of absolute goodness, and all from a country that specializes in it! 

ROUGH SUNDAYS — VOL LXXXVIII

Homeruns from Hiroshima, hip-hop and a Hall & Oates hybrid and that's just the alliteration accolades! From Southern Japan, it's another half-an-hour of a deep dive into the city pop, funk, doo-wop and soul from a 1960s-80s Japan. Good? Child, please. This week's show is GREAT. Hit play! Be happy! 

ROUGH SUNDAYS — VOL. LXXXVII

From a gorgeous apartment overlooking the bay in Southern Japan, it’s yet another deep dive into the beautiful bins of a 1950s-80s Tokyo and beyond, with not one, but two of those incredible City Pop tracks, a big-band, throwback, some sixties hippy happenings and the catchy collab done with the guy from Daft Punk’s dad… and much more. Half an hour of Japanese Old School goodness, get in there!

ROUGH SUNDAYS — VOL. LXXXVI

From an expensive-and-unplanned hotel room in Osaka comes a deep-dive into all things 60s, 70s and early 80s Japan. A few tracks explaining "kawaii", to crooners you'll know of, but probably not know (we'll change that), to some husky female vocals and, of course, more of our current addiction: City pop. That, plus a whooooooole lot more. It's Rough Sundays, back to the Japanese Chapters! 

ROUGH SUNDAYS VOL. LXXXV

Coming to you from the Pink City of Jaipur, India, it's probably the world's best Sunday Morning Gospel, Blues, Funk and Soul podcast coming to you from Jaipur, India. Featuring haunting vocals from Son House, the lady who invented rock n' roll, the band that would have been The Wailers if not for The Wailers, funk + sitar crossovers, New Orleans funkiest drummer, plus sounds of the Sufi, of Delhi traffic, of hidden temple chants and of India during Holi WOW IS RIGHT so press play, enjoy a cup of coffee or something stronger ... and let us handle the next half hour. It's Rough Sundays!